Dispensing and vending machine



May 16,- 1944.

M. S. RUNSVOLD ET AL DISPENSING AND VENDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 27, 1940 E-SheetS-Sheet 1 INVENTORS'.

l/aZa 422a Han /son G :SZoane ATTORNEY. v

1 1944' M. s. RUNSVOLD ET AL 2,348,927

DISPENSING AND VENDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 27, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 HHIII llllllll lllllll Ill Z3 Z3 k B K ATTORNEY.

F INVENTORS. I

' y16,1944. M. s. RUNSVOLD Em 2,348, 27

DISPENSING AND VENDING MACHINE Fil ed Dec. 27, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS. EdrZ/n RZULSVOM and Han /Jazz 6704226 E ATTORNEY.

Patented May 16, 1944 DISPENSING AND VENDING rmcnmn Martin S'. Runsvold and Harrison G. Sloane, San Diego, Calif.

Application December 27, 1940, Serial No. 371.894

8 Claims.

Our inventionrelates to improvements in dispensing and vending machines adapted to handle articles of merchandise such as bottles, package containers or other articles and the objects of our invention are:

First, to provide a machine of this class arranged for storing in an upright position a maximum quantity of merchandise by compact vertical positioning upon a single turntable and plurality of turntables without increase of floor space;

Second, to provide a machine of this class which will discharge mechanically single bottles or packages from the interior of the machine to the exterior without change of angular relation or change of level;

Third, to provide a machine of this class which will provide such storage within a cabinet or shell easilyinsulated and refrigerated and to efiect such discharge without appreciable loss of temperature;

Fourth, to provide a machine of this class which provides optional combination of turntable conveying operation so as to permit storage and discharge from a single turntable, storage and discharge from a selected turntable among several,

storage and discharge from two or moreturntables operating in sequence, and deposit and storage of empty 6! .tainers in one or more selected turntables;

Fifth, to provide a novel dispensing and v'ending machine of this class: and

Sixth, to provide a machine of this class which is very simple and economical of construction, in

proportion to its utility, efficient in its action and which will not readily order.

With these and other objects in view as will appear hereinafter, our invention consists of cer. tain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon which form a part of this application in which:

Figure 1 is a plan sectional view of our dispensing and vending machine taken from the line 1-4 of Fig. 2 showing by dash lines varying positions of parts and portions thereof; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken from the line 2--2 of Fig. 1 showing parts and portions in elevation to facilitate the illustratlon; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from'the line 3--3 o r .Flg. 1; Fig. 4 is a fragdeteriorate or get out of 'mentary sectional view taken from the line 4-4 ofFig. 1 showing by dash lines varying positions of parts and portions of our dispensing and vending machine; Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 55 of Fig. 4

fragmentary front elevational view of our dispensing and vending machine showing portions thereof broken away and showing by dash lines varying positions of parts and" portions of our dispensing and vending machine; Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical wiring used in connection with our dispensing and vending machine; Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 9-3 of Fig. 1 showing portions broken away to facilitate the illustration and Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line lU-ltl of Fig. 9.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the several views of the drawings:

The housing cabinet I, return container supporting turntable 2. delivery turntables 3 and d, turntable ring gears 5 and 6, turntable operating sprockets l and 8, sprocket engaging chain 9, turntable axis shaft l0, turntable bearings ll, I2 and I3, container guide members l4, l5 and I6, main operating shaft l'l, container delivery cylinders l8 and I9, cylinder operating sleeve 20, turntable operating gears 2i and 22, cylinder clutch member 23, clutch member operating lever 24, clutch member engaging yokcs 25, clutch trip lever and container engaging arm 26, cylinder supporting bearing 21 and 28, operating motor 29, container holdback member 30, holdback member gear 3|, cam operating shaft 32, cam

' member 33, delivery cylinder, timing .cam 34,

' indicator and coin stop member 42, link member 43, container engaging lever 46, compression springs 45, service doors 46 and "refill door 48,

manually operated reversing switch 49, manually tables 2, 3 and 4 are mounted one above the other in superposed relation arranged to revolve about the turntable axis shaft l0. Provision is made by means of turntable ring gears 5 and 6 to rotate the delivery turntables 3 and 4 in a counter-clockwise direction, as shown in Fig. 1, about the axis shaft I while the turntable operating sprockets I and 8 and sprocket chain 9 cause the return container supporting turntable 2 to rotate in a clockwise direction around the same axis. supported respectively by the turntable bearings H, l2 and I3.

Motive power issupplied to rotate the turntables and other moving parts by the electric motor 29, which through reduction gear mechanism 29a slowly revolves the operating shaft l1 in a clockwise direction, as shown in Fig. 1.

This shaft rotates in the cylinder supporting bearings 21 and 28, which also carry the weight of the delivery cylinders l8 and iii. The turntable operating gears 2| and 22 impart a greatly reduced speed of rotation, in the opposite direction, to'turntable ring gears and G and are in mesh therewith while the operating sprocket 8 imparts the same reduced speed of rotation but in the same direction, to turntable sprocket I.

The delivery cylinders l8 and I9 are provided with portions l8a recessed, as shown in Figure 1, so as to hold within their circumferences single upright bottles or packages and to carry such bottles or packages, as the cylinders rotate, from the interior of the cabinet to the delivery platform 52 and 53 respectively on the exterior of the cabinet.

The delivery turntables 2, 3 and 4 are smooth surfaced planetary disks provided with concentric sections of disks which turntables provide the supporting storage and movement surface for the supply of merchandise upon the respective turntables. Supported free from and slightly above the upper surface of th respective turntables are the guide members l4, l5, and 16.

.These are in the form of continuous vertical walls, each extending from the central axis to the periphery in spiral form. I

As the operatingshaft l'l rotates, it will be seen that all packages or bottles on the surface of whichever turntable is in operation will be moved along the path determined by the guide members l4, I5 or it. Thus articles on turntables 3 and 4 will be moved to the outermost end of the path while those on the turntable 2 gill be moved toward the center of the tumta 1e.

Action of the middle turntable and the lower turntable is identical, but one remains at rest while the other rotates. Both of these tumtables are arranged as delivery units; that is, the merchandise, packages orbottles are ejected one at a time, first from the upper turntable until all are expelled, then from the lower tumtable until all are expelled. The means for accomplishing this is shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 where the cylinder clutch member 23 provides the rotating connection between the operating shaft l1 and the alternative delivery cylinders I8 and I9. These cylinders rotate freely about the shaft l1 and are fixed to the cylinderoperating sleeves 20 and 20a upon the operating shaft l1. Each delivery cylinder is in fixed relation with its respective turntable operating gear 2| or 22. ,Thus when the machine is in operation with both delivery turntables filled, the cyl- The turntables 2, 3 and 4 are inder clutch member 23 is set to engage with the upper turntable operating gear 2|, being at the same time free of the lower delivery cylinder l9 and its operating gear. As shown in Fig. 4,

a clutch trip lever 26 is arranged to bear upon the outward end of the clutch member operating lever 24 in such manner that the container engaging arm portion 26b rides upon the outermost pair of containers passing beneath it on the middle turntable. As the last container passes from under it, the container engaging arm drops slightly, disengaging the lower extremity of. the clutch trip lever 26 which is pulled away by the trip lever tension spring a. The clutch member operating lever 24 is thereby released and the compression spring 24a forces the opposite end downward on the fulcrum bracket 24b. This end is connected with the clutch engaging yoke 25 which loosely engages within the annular grooved portion 23a of the clutch member 23. The pressure thus applied rapidly pulls the upwardly projecting lug portions 23b of the clutch member 23 out of the upper turntable operating gear 2| and drops the lower projecting lugs 23c thereof into the recessed portion l9a in the upper surface of the delivery cylinder l9. 'Thereupon all subsequent revolutions of the operating shaft I! provide rotation to the delivery cylinder 19 in relation with the lower turntable 4. The upper turntable 2 remains in continuous operation, it being understood, of course, that all movement is periodic and each container delivery corresponds to one revolution of the delivery cylinders l8 and I9 and a simultaneous fractional revolution of the respective turntable.

Normally all of the mechanical parts above mentioned are at rest. Insertion of a coin in a. slot lm in the outer shell of the cabinet closes the coin operated starting switch 38 by pressure of the coin descending in the channel 39 engaging the contact lever 38a, which, through the lever pushrod 38b presses the contact bridge 38c upon the contact points 38d. A momentary electrical circuit is thereupon established as shown in Fig. 8 and the motor 29 goes into 'operation. The starting switch immediately opens the circuit and the motor circuit would be left open except for the timing switch which is simultaneously engaged by means of the delivery cylinder timing cam 34' which is secured to. and revolves with the operating shaft II. This cam 34 is notched to receive the cam engaging roller 35b, which normally rests-within the notch 34a. Revolution of the cam initiated by closing of the starting switch 38 forces the roller out of the notch 34a with the revoluble movement of the cam 34 so that during the remainder of the revolution it rides on the outer circumference of the cam. Thereby the timing switch operating lever 35 forces the link member 36 away from the shaft I1 and causes the switch shaft l1 and breaks the motor circuit, brin ing all operation to a standstill.

The intermittent fractional revolutions of the-- delivery turntables .3, or 4 carry' the train of containers between the guides l5 or l6 from the center outwardly so that the outermost container is always in readiness to pass into the recesse -portion I8a of each delivery cylinder l8 or IE whenever the latter is brought into of the path of the containers.

position by its own revolution. This outward movement of the containers does not have to be containers, thus permitting the innermost c'on-.

tainers to close up the gaps which would otherwise occur in the train of containers and causing a forward pressure on the outermost containers.

As the delivery cylinders revolve slowly in a clockwise direction (looking downwardly on the shaft H in Fig. 1 of the drawings) any container which is pressed against its outer peripheral surface is carried slowly by movement of the respective turntable into the-recess I81: and within the cylinder. It is then carried around gradually emerging from the cylinder until it is completely removed from said delivery cylinder onto the delivery platform. The cylinder continues to revolve until the recess portion 18a is wholly within the cabinet again, in which position it comes to rest, as shown in Fig. 1 :of the drawings.

In order to prevent exertion of unnecessary pressure against the delivery cylinder, 9, holdback memberill is positioned near the outer end This is composed of an intercepting or pressure arm 30 which holds back all containers except one or more outwardly of its point of contact. The free containers .are thus permitted to proceed outwardly against the cylinder wall where they may rest with light pressure against it and promptly and without binding enter the recess l8a when it appears at the end of the path. The holdback member 30 is operated by a cam 33 on the operating shaft 32 turned, as shown in Fig. 6 by a tandem gear ti meshing with the turntable ring gear 5. Thus with each revolution of the operating shaft l1 occurs a revolution of the cam operating shaft M, which causes the cam member 33 during each revolution to force one end of the holdback member 3d against the adjacent container and subsequently through operation of the tension spring 3th, to release such container wlienthe cam 33 releases said holdback member 30 during revolution of the cam member 33.

'A signal is provided ata preselected point on the outer periphery of the container guide on which is attached a package engaging lever Ha, which normally is held outside of the path of the containers by its engagement with two or more containers. As the last container passes the outer end of said lever Ma, the signal switch M is closed by the compression sp g Mb, causing contact member Me to engagethe contact member did. Thereby an electric circuit to a-bell' or light gives warning that the storage supply of containers is running low and. that the machine should be replenished.

The container engaging lever M is located at sisted by the compression spring 45, the empty indicator and'coin' stop member 42 then moves across the coin slot aperture Im so as to close it and prevent insertion of coins until the storage turntables are again refilled.

By operation of the mechanism above described vendees successively inserting coins are enabled successively to receive through the delivery aperture le and remove from the delivery platform 52 each container stored on the middle turntable 3 and thereafter receive through the aperture I f and remove from the delivery platform 53 each container stored on the lower turntable A. After the contents of a container has been removed, as in the case of bottles, the empty containers are disposed of by depositing them successively upon the receiving platform 5! and pushing them into the aperture Id, so that they rest upon the return container supporting turntable 2. The next succeeding coin deposit starts such container on its inbound course and the empty container and all others on the turntable 2 are parried inward until the whole path is filled along the guide member M.

It is obvious that on the turntables considerable friction will be developed in sliding one of said turntables beneath a full train of containers. In a machine of small dimensions this is not reatly objectionable, but with a turntable of larger diameter we prefer to use a divided turntable, such as is shown in the middle turntable in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Here the turntable is divided into two concentric planetary sections, the upper surfaces being substantially on the same level. The outer ring portion 3g is fixed to the turntable rig gear 5 so as to turn about the axis shaft I 6 at the same rate of speed as the gear itself. The inner ring 3a is free of the outer ring and of the ear 5. ing surfaceis to permit containers on the outer ring 3g to travel at a rate of speed difierent from that of those on the inner ring 3a. The inner ring- 3a rests on a ball bearing race near its outer edge and on a depressible ball bearing race 3) at its center, the latter being supported by the springs 3d. The shaft sleeve 3h passes through the inner ring and is aflixed to the turntable hub 37'. Ina flange at the upper end of the sleeve 3h are inserted drag members 3e which are adjustable, and protrude through the flange so as to frictionally engage the upper surface of the inner ring 3a, when the latter is in raised position and relieved of the containers. is loaded andin depressed position it rides free of the drag member 3e and turns freely around the sleeve 3h. When the turntable is loaded the maximum weight rests on the supporting. surface the outwardend of the path of the containers on I the lower turntable near the delivery cylinder 19.

drawings; Actuated by the link membertflJasof the ring3a with the result that the springs 3d are depressed, thus keeping the ring 311 free from the drag members 3e. By friction of the ball bearings a tendency is imparted to the inner ring to revolve along with the outer-ring so that containers pass over from the inner ring 3d to the outer ring 39, thus lightening the load on the inner ring 3a., The springs 3d gradually raise the inner ring 3a .to the point where it engages the drag members 3e with increasing force. When the load has be en substantially removed from the inner portion of the inner ring 3 the frictional contact of the drag members 3e is sufficient to move the two rings 3a and 39 in unison. During the time that the inner ring 3a is disengaged and free floating, any back pressure exerted in the train of containers by stopping their progress outwardly serves to bring vtheinner The object in dividing the weight bear- When the latter packages to a standstill and as a result, the supporting inner ring in. The latter takes up rotation again only when free space has been opened in the path of the outer ring do by progress of containers outward through the respective delivery cylinder. By this means pressure of the containers is reduced at the position of the holdback member 39.

Free space is provided in the front portion of the cabinet on either side of the delivery cylinders and in corresponding position near the upper turntable, in which are located the coin receiv ,ing receptacle 40, electric switches 50, 49 and other parts. Access is attained to this free space through the service doors 46 and 41. A refill door 48 is shown in Fig. 1. At this point accessible through the door 48, the turntable may be refilled by insertion of containers. For this operation the manual reverse switch 49 is engaged so as to turn the delivery turntables 3 and 4 in a clockwise direction, thereby carrying the containers, packages or bottles inwardly to the fur- .thest open space between the guides. In like manner discharge of empty bottles is obtained from the turntable 2 which operating in a counter-clockwise direction, brings all empty containers from the interior of the turntable 2 tothe'exterior aperture id and there deposits them on the receiving platform 5|.

In servicing the machine, the attendant opens the service doors 46.and 41 and the refill door 48; he then engages the manual constant contact switch 50, as well as the reversing switch 49, which puts all turntables into continuousreverse action. The attendant then receives the empty containers as they are removed from the upper turntable 2 and when that is empty he proceeds to feed full containers into the lower turntables 3 and 4 until they are completely filled. Thereupon he disengages the constant contact switch 50, reverses the manual reversing switch 49 and closes up the service doors.

At the bottom of the cabinet I, space may be utilized for housing a refrigerator compressor unit, not shown in the drawings.

While the foregoing specification sets forth in detail the present construction'as best adapted to bottled merchandise, we do not wish to be, limited to such details of construction, as changes may readily be made, for example more suitably for handling rectanguluar packages,

without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vending machine of the class described, the combination of a rotatably mounted horizontal carrier member, guide members for directing articles on said carrier member relative to the periphery thereof, an adjacent exterior delivery platform, a rotatable delivery member recessed for receiving individual articles within its outer side and means for rotating said rotatable delivery member so as to move the articles successively from such-carrier and to deposit them .upon such delivery platform.

2. In a vending machine of the class described,

the combination of a rotatably mounted tumtable arranged to support articles thereon, guide means defining a passage for said articles above and directing said articles toward the outer edge of said turntable, a rotatably mounted delivery member communicating with the outer portion 75 of said passage defined by said guide means, said delivery member provided with a recess portion in its side wall arranged to consecutively receive said articles from said guide means, secondary means for rotating said delivery member, and a delivery platform on the same level with said turntable outwardly of said deli"ery member.

3. In a vending machine of the class described, the combination of a rotatably mounted tumtable arranged to support articles thereon, spiral guide means defining a passage for said articles above and directing said articles toward the outer edge of said turntable and a rotatably mounted delivery member communicating with the outer portion of said passage defined by said guide means, said delivery member provided with a recess portion in its side wall arranged to consecutively receive said articles from said guide means.

4. In a vending machine of the class described, the combination of a rotatably mounted tumtable arranged to support articles thereon, guide means defining a passage for said articles above and directing said articles toward the outer edge of said turntable, a rotatably mounted delivery member communicating with the outer portion of said passage defined by said guide means, said delivery member provided with a recess portion in its side wall arranged to consecutively receive said articles, secondary means for rotating said delivery member, a pivotally mounted holdback member arranged to intermittently shift and engage said articles near said delivery member.

5. In a vending machine of the class described, the combination of a rotatably mounted turntable arranged to support articles thereon,

- guide means defining a passage for said articles above and directing said articles toward the outer edge of said turntable, a rotatably mounted delivery member communicating with the outer. portion of said passage defined by said guide means, said delivery member provided with a recess portion in its side wall arranged to consecutively receive said articles, secondary means for rotating said delivery member, a pivotally mounted holdback member arranged to intermittently shift and engage said articles near said delivery member, and cam means arranged to shift said holdback member.

6. In a vending machine of the class described, the combination of a plurality of turntables revolubly mounted on a common axis, a main operating shaft, gear means intermediately engaging said turntables and, revol'ubly mounted delivery members freely rotatably mounted on said main operating shaft communicating with said turntables and clutch means revolubly operated by said main operating shaft alternately engageable with said delivery members.

7. In a vending machine of the class described, the combination of a horizontal rotatab y mounted turntable arranged to support articles thereo guide'means defining a passage for said articles above and directing said articles toward the outer edge of said turntable; a rotatabb mounted delivery member communicating withthe'outer portion of said passage defined by said guide means having means arranged to receive the articles from said guide means, said turntable provided with concentric section's shiitable with relation to other at their upper surface portions whereby said sections may rotate at various speeds relatively to each other for the reduction of pressure on the outermost articles.

8. In a. vending machine of the class described,

the combination of rotatably mounted turntables arranged to support. articles thereon, guide means defining passages for said articles above and directing said articles toward the outer edges of said turntables, rotatably mounted delivery members communicating with the 10 outer portions of said passages defined by said guide means having means arranged to receive MARTIN s. RUNSVOLD. HARRISON G. SLOANE. 

